


Of Sweets, Tarts, and Valentines

by bakercrown



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Baking, Candy, Chocolate, F/M, Kissing, Reunions, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Romance, Strudel - Freeform, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-27 14:19:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17768405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bakercrown/pseuds/bakercrown
Summary: Post-COG. Everything changes when Queenie receives handmade chocolates from Jacob for Valentine's Day. Delighted that he doesn't hate her or think she's crazy, Queenie sets out to be reunited with Jacob for Valentine's Day--their best one yet.





	Of Sweets, Tarts, and Valentines

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day one day early! I usually would wait and post this tomorrow, but you are all going to get an Unconventional Times update very, very soon so I'm posting this a day early. Enjoy!
> 
> Thank you to my beta LacieFuyu for helping me out. 😎
> 
> Also happy Galentine's Day to all my awesome ladies reading this. 🥰

It was a good thing that Jacob’s bakery was on Tina’s way to work. Not only did it mean that she didn’t have to eat alone in her tiny, London apartment, but it also meant that she didn’t have to cook.

Besides, it gave her a chance to check up on Jacob. He always had a pastry ready for Tina, even on days like today when it was closed. He always insisted it was at no charge.

“You saved my life,” Jacob said, “in Paris. You eat for free here.”

Every time she tried to subtly leave him no-maj money (She always got the feeling that she counted it wrong, how did no-majs deal with those coins?) she always ended up with an owl from Gringotts saying that Jacob Kowalski had deposited the amount she’d left him into her account she’d set up a little under two months ago. There was always a note included saying, “I won’t accept your money, Tina.”

Today started out the same. She unlocked the door with a simple “ _Alohomora_ !”, shook off the umbrella she’d carried on the way to work (she walked, MACUSA had firmly ingrained in her the habits of acting like a no-maj in public, she couldn’t _just_ apparate), and, after closing the door behind her, she left her umbrella on the mat to dry. Rain still pattered down outside.

At first, everything seemed the way it always ways. Jacob had left her something to eat out on the counter (a doughnut today) with the usual handwritten note saying “Remember, you saved my life, you don’t pay here, Tina!”

Tina, like always, ignored it and carefully counted the amount of British pounds that she owed Jacob for the doughnut and bite into it, a satisfied look on her face. Chocolate with chocolate frosting with cream on the inside. Mercy Lewis, it was good.

If Tina were asked, she would easily admit that she didn’t just stop at Jacob’s for the pastries. (although it was a lovely extra benefit.) It had been approaching two months since Queenie had left them to join that charmer, that cultist, and Tina felt obligated to check up on the man her sister had loved.

It made her feel close to Queenie. Queenie would want someone looking in on Jacob and while Jacob spent most of his non-working hours with Newt, Tina still felt obligated as Queenie’s older sister to make sure Jacob was safe. She’d even put protective spells on the bakery.

Which was why Tina couldn’t relax as she ate the pastry. Noises drew her ears and she, of course, felt obligated to investigate. Why was she hearing noises? Jacob wouldn’t be here on a Sunday. He would be at Mass and then would spend the rest of the day with Newt. Was someone here? Had her protective enchantments not held? Tina found the suggestion insulting.

At any rate, if something happened to Jacob, she would never forgive herself. Tina left her doughnut on the counter when she’d found it and drew her wand, heading to the kitchen, which was where she heard the clattering and the sound of footsteps. She swung open the door and--

It was Jacob, hands at work frosting some chocolates. For a moment, Tina and Jacob just gaped at each other--

“You know, I must have really done something to make you mad if you’re wanting to attack me,” Jacob said, clearly joking. “Did you find out about that time Queenie stayed over when you were out of town on Auror business in May last year, because--”

Tina laughed. Oh, Jacob. “I already know about that, you’re safe.” She pocketed her wand.

“Wait, you did?” Jacob said. “But how--”

“Our house lacked the smell of Queenie’s perfume when I got home, and when I stopped at the bakery the next day, I wasn’t shocked to find out that your bakery smelled like someone had been spraying the place with it for a week,” Tina said.

“You know Queenie and the care she puts into her appearance--” Jacob said. For a second, his eyes were glittering with happiness, before tears pooled in his eyes.

Tina slowly walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, I--” But she withdrew the hand in shock, her mouth parting slightly, when she saw up close the chocolate hearts Jacob was frosting with pink icing.

One had a tiara. Another had an umbrella with flames seeming to sprout from the handle. One had an owl and a pigeon with a tiny heart hovering over both of them. Another had a strudel. There was another, the most blatantly obvious one, that read “J ❤s Q.”

“Oh, Jacob,” Tina sighed. “You stayed home from church today just to make those for Queenie?”

Jacob nodded.

“I wanted to have something ready, just in case--”

But Tina had begun to tune out Jacob. She ran to a cabinet and grabbed a box and began to carefully place each of the chocolates, which were about the size of Tina’s hand, into a box. They were fat, and thick and made Tina forget all about her doughnut. She quickly cast a charm on them so the design wouldn’t be ruined and they wouldn’t go stale.

“Hey!” Jacob said, clearly not getting Tina’s plan yet. “In case you didn’t notice, those ain’t for you!”

“I know that,” Tina said, hurrying out of the kitchen with Jacob tailing her, looking cross. “I’m going to mail them to Queenie.”  

Jacob’s mouth parted in confusion. Tina could see a tiny flick of sweat on his brow, a subject he didn’t want to bring up around Tina. “Won’t Queenie be avoidin’ Aurors?”

“I also happen to be her sister,” Tina said. “Even if she’s made herself Unplottable for Aurors, I’m hoping she’ll have created an exception for me… _Hopefully_.” She shuddered. She was painfully aware that if Queenie wanted to include her in a charm to make her impossible for Aurors to track, there was nothing she could do about it. She and Queenie hadn’t exactly been on good terms for the last year.

Which made it all the more important that Queenie gets those candies. She needed to know that someone cared about her that wasn’t that monster Grindelwald. Tina hurried out of the bakery.

“Hey, you forgot your doughnut!” Jacob yelled after her.

But Tina had already Disapparated.

#

Queenie was in Spain when she got the chocolates. If she’d been at Nurmengard, she likely wouldn’t have gotten them at all, since the building was Unplottable. She had cast the charm to make herself Unplottable shortly after joining Grindelwald, but she had made an exception for Tina and Jacob. Even now, she couldn’t cut them both out of her life completely.  

She hadn’t known what to make of the owl. She’d been brushing her hair in an old fancy hotel room in Spain, getting ready for a mission Grindelwald had given her when she’d heard a tap on the glass window of her room’s balcony. Forgetting that an Auror wouldn’t simply knock--well, maybe Tina would--Queenie grabbed her her wand from the marble vanity and turned around. A duel in her silk nightdress wasn’t ideal, but she would if she had to.

Except It wasn’t an Auror… It was an owl. A simple grey owl with a parcel attached to its foot.

She didn’t recognize this owl. Maybe it was Grindelwald with further instructions? She opened the window to let the owl in but kept her wand out. Her heart raced along nervously. What if this was some kind of trick or trap? Aurors shouldn’t be able to _just send her an owl_ , but maybe she’d made a mistake...

She untied the parcel attached to the owl’s leg and scratched the owl on the head. It responded with a happy coo. She then went to get the owl a bowl of water, which she placed on her vanity. The owl let out a delight hoot of thanks, and flew over to the water bowl, lapping it up.

Queenie untied the parcel with her wand. She held on to her wand so tightly, her knuckles were white. This had to be a trap, right? The parcel unwrapped itself, revealing… A candy box? Queenie stared. There was only one person who would send her candy, and he had made it clear he thought she was insane. Was this someone trying to play a joke on her? In the very early hours of Valentine’s Day? Tears welled up in her eyes, which she quickly wiped away.

She opened up the candy box and found a note on top of careful wrappings, in Tina’s handwriting. There was also a newspaper article mentioning that Jacob had started a bakery in London. Okay, now she was really wary. Was Tina doing this to hurt her?

My dear Queenie,

Talk to me or not after you receive those, but please don’t ever believe for a second that Jacob doesn’t want to see you.

Tina.

Now, she was downright confused--Tina wouldn’t help her, would she? After everything? She felt nothing but rage towards Tina most days, burying the part of her that loved her sister in a tiny corner of her heart, and she was sure Tina must do the same. Rule-abiding Tina would _never_ want a fugitive for a sister. And yet, she knew her sister’s handwriting...

Surely she had nothing to lose by taking a look at the chocolates? Queenie opened the box.

She gasped. There was no one who could have made those chocolates other than Jacob, but to her knowledge, Jacob had never made candy for anyone before. All of them were in special designs that celebrated their love. Designs that only Jacob would know to make.

She picked up the “J ❤s Q” and the tears began to roll down her face, still her rosy cheeks with salt. Jacob had made those for her… He didn’t hate her, then? He didn’t think she was a lunatic unworthy of love and affection?

Cradling the chocolate in her hands as though it were her and Jacob’s firstborn child, she gently wrapped the candy up again so it wouldn’t go stale. She tried to put a charm on it to make sure it wouldn’t go stale… Only to find that someone else had.

“Teen,” Queenie breathed quietly. “I guess you don’t hate me, neither.”

Of course, it could have been Newt, but the letter was obviously from Tina, which implied that she had been the one to put the helpful spells on the candy. Queenie knew what she had to do now, she had to find Jacob, before Valentine’s Day was over, apologize and make things good between them again.

#

Thirty minutes past five and Jacob was still closing up shop. Today had been, obviously, a big day in the bakery. People always wanted something for Valentine’s Day. Last year had been big too--except then Queenie had stayed and had made the day easier, working in the back, subtly making the days easier with magic, helping speed up baking new cookies with magic, quietly casting Cheering Charms on the customers who were getting too angry.

This year his menu was the same as last year’s. Cookies, cakes all decorated with hearts. He didn’t sell any chocolates. This was a bakery, not a candy store after all, and the chocolates… Those had been for Queenie, he wouldn’t make them for anyone else.

Every muscle in Jacob’s body was now weary from the long day. He longed for a hot bath and a nap. His main thought, as he locked the cash drawer away and tucked the key into his apron, was that he at least hoped that Queenie had gotten the candy. That maybe it had at least planted the seed in her mind that she wasn’t really alone, that her friends and family still loved her--

He was distracted by a tapping at the door. Jacob nearly groaned. He knew exactly what this was. Another customer, ready with the “I know you’re closed, Mr. Kowalski, but I really need to bring my girlfriend a treat for Valentine’s Day” speech. He’d gotten someone like that ten minutes ago.

The bakery officially closed at five. He even had a **CLOSED** sign on his door. Moaning and eager for the day to be over, he peeked his head up above the counter and his heart dropped in his chest.

It was Queenie.

She wore a pearl pink dress, made of what looked like smooth silk that went to her knees with a small bow dangling from the neckline, and a white cloche hat. He was relieved to see the sign of Grindelwald wasn’t dangling off her neck. Had she left him? Or maybe she just knew Jacob wouldn’t tolerate her wearing it in his bakery. In her arms, she held the tin Tina had packed for her. A white purse hung off her shoulder.

She lit up when she saw Jacob and gestured to the door and then to her package, the universal sign for “I’d let myself in but my hands are full.”

Jacob grabbed the key, delight rising in him the way dough would rise in the oven when exposed to heat. He stuck the key in the lock and, in his anxiety, fumbled with a lock that he could normally open in his sleep if he had to.

Queenie giggled and tapped one of her feet in an impatient way he really wasn’t sure was real or a joke as he finally opened the door for her.

For a long second, all they did was stare at each other, beaming. Finally, Queenie held out the chocolates.

“I was in the neighborhood and wanted to make sure you didn’t have some other gal as your Valentine. We could share?” She nodded to the chocolates he had painstakingly made her. Her voice was nervous, as thought she didn’t know what kind of answer he would give.

Jacob was still too shocked to do anything. Queenie here, in his bakery.

“I’m sorry I left you out of so many decisions, baby,” Queenie said, biting her red lips, smearing her lipstick a bit. Queenie would probably start fretting about her lipstick, it was a matter of time, but all it did was make Jacob want to mess up her lipstick even more. Queenie blushed, leaned forward, and pressed her lips to Jacob’s for a long second. “There you go, honey! Anyway, I just wanted what was best for us. But we can talk about all this tomorrow. And I won’t run away!”

The apology made his brain kick into gear again, forcing his thoughts to form some other pattern than simply: Queenie, in his bakery, pressing her lips on his.

Jacob cleared his throat. “Well, I shouldn’t have called you crazy,” Jacob said, taking the chocolates. “I should have sat you down, asked what was wrong--”

Queenie kissed him on the cheek.

“Then we’re agreed we can talk about all of that more tomorrow. Today we are celebrating us,” Queenie said as she waved her wand and the candy box and her purse flew over to the counter. It was a good thing that Theseus had made it clear to the Ministry that Jacob knew about wizards so he wouldn’t have Ministry officials swooping down on the bakery right now for the magic.

“Theseus? Newt’s brother?” Queenie said. She looked wary. “He’s an Auror, right?” What would happen if the wrong person found her? If she went to prison, he couldn’t--

Queenie walked over and put a hand on Jacob’s chest.

“You’re so sweet, honey. Don’t worry,” Queenie said. He didn’t have the courage to ask about the Grindelwald. He was afraid it might lead to another fight and having Queenie here, wanting what basically amounted to a date with him, it felt like too much of a miracle to spoil with something that might make things go south.

“Now I had an idea for what we could do today,” Queenie said, a smile lighting up her whole face. “I want to show you how to make a strudel with magic. Only if you want to, I mean.” She looked at the ground and rubbed her thumb against her knuckles anxiously.

Jacob smiled. “That would be great, but you know I can’t--”

“I’ll be the one doing the magic, of course,” Queenie said. “You can just wrap your arms around me and hold my hand.” Her eyes sparkled, knowing that would be more than enough for Jacob. Jacob’s eyes didn’t leave Queenie as they walked. He was still afraid she might disappear.

_Don’t spoil it, don’t spoil it._

Queenie walked over to the counter, and once Jacob was behind her, she gently wrapped his arms around her waist. Queenie leaned into his arms, a happy and relieved sigh escaping her lips. Jacob slowly ran his arm up her wand hand, until he gently held the hand that grasped her wand. He rested his cheek against Queenie’s and she giggled as his breath tickled her ear.

“Now, how am I focused to focus when we’re cuddled this close?” Queenie said, cheeks red as more laughter broke free. She didn’t move, lingering at that moment, that pose. Her breath was slow and content in a way that Jacob couldn’t recall it being in months. He liked this relaxed, content Queenie.

As much as Jacob wanted the strudel, he would be fine with ditching it to carry Queenie up to his room. This made her laugh harder, cheeks darkening with heat. “That would be nice,” she agreed softly, a hand drifting to his cheek. “Not that I don’t feel the same, sweetheart, but you been working all day. You need something in your stomach, honey. Besides, I had a long trip here. Portkey all the way from Spain. Wasn’t a whole lot of fun and I need some food, first.”

He could live with that. Besides, the strudel would be delicious.

“Spain?” he asked aloud.

“Yeah, Spain.” She didn’t elaborate, likely, he suspected, because she knew he wouldn’t approve of whatever she had been doing there. Jacob wanted to rock the boat as little as she did, so he said nothing. They could talk about it tomorrow morning. Talk, he was determined, not argue.

“Okay,” Queenie wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. “So, let’s see, first of all… _Accio_ ,” he could see her forehead creasing out of the corner of her eye as she counted, it was adorable. He wanted to kiss all of the slight wrinkles away, but instead he rested his head against hers while she thought, “Sorry, I ain’t made this in a couple of months. _Accio_ four apples, a cup of brown sugar, and a cup of golden raisins! Oh, and a spoon, a bowl, a rolling pin, a couple of knives, and a baking sheet!... We can save eggs and milk for later since they have to stay cold. Let’s see… We also need a frozen sheet of puff pastry.” She aimed her wand at Jacob’s freezer. “ _Accio_! here now, that can thaw out.”

The necessary items floated over, and as always, Jacob couldn’t help but admire the magic, his mouth opened a little.

She flicked her wand toward the oven. “ _Calefactous_ , 400 degrees!” The oven switched on to preheat.

Queenie directed the apples onto the table so she could chop them. Jacob still held her hand, she pointed at the apples and flicked her wand. “ _Cleavus_!” All but one began to chop and peel themselves as though being cut by a quick moving, invisible chef, the last one was finely shredded.

Once the apples were ready, she pointed her wand at the fruit. “ _Wingardium Leviosa_ !” The apples lifted into the air, and Queenie gracefully directed them into the bowl. She pointed at the raisins and brown sugar and did the same. Jacob watched the scene unfold, unable to believe his eyes. Queenie was home and they were making a delicious strudel and everything was _magical_. He wanted to pinch himself to make sure it was a dream, but being cuddled with Queenie was too nice for him to want to ruin the moment. Jacob couldn’t take his eyes off the food or the magic.

Queenie paused. “You know what would make this taste like an apple pie? _Accio_ , one teaspoon of cinnamon!” Soon, it was flying their way, and Jacob caught it, immediately dumping it into the bowl. Queenie nuzzled her cheek against his.

“Aw, I could have done that, honey,” Queenie said.

“Hey, you can at least let me do _something_.”

“Nah, I am making you an excellent strudel as the mother of all apologies,” Queenie said. The next line was a whisper. “Besides, I like to show off for you.”

Jacob laughed. “Then I guess I am just going to have to make you something special when your back is turned.”

“Good luck with that. I happen to have a man I can’t take my eyes off of,” Queenie flirted, before turning back to the strudel. “Alright, next up… We stir!” She guided the hand that Jacob was holding towards the bowl. “ _Verte_!”

The spoon began to move of its own according, stirring itself firmly. Even a simple task performed with magic never failed to amuse him. He still had moments where he couldn’t believe that not only was magic real, but he was one of the few no-majs allowed to know, somehow. Him, an ordinary guy!

Next, she took aim at the now-thawed pastry-puff, which had thawed out in the time it took them to work on everything else. “ _Volvere_ !” The rolling pin rolled over the dough. “ _Wingardium Leviosa_ !” The dough, now twice the size it had been, flew over to the baking sheet. Yet another “ _Wingardium Leviosa_!” later and their mixture from the bowl was now spread out across the flattened dough.  

“ _Bindus_ !” Queenie said, pointing her wand at the dough. It folded itself around, sealed the edges with water, and began to crimp the edges together. “ _Accio_ , milk and  an egg!” She used the levitating spell again to pour them into a cup and said “ _Verte_ !” again. She used another levitating spell to direct the mixture on top of the strudel. She aimed her wand at another knife. “ _Cleavus_ !” A few fine slits were cut into the pastry so it would have room to breath while it baked. With one final, “ _Wingardium, Leviosa_!” she directed the pastry into the now-heated oven and placed her wand on the counter. She wiped her brow.

“Whew,” she said. “We got forty minutes until dinner’s ready.” She turned around, not having left his arms while they baked the strudel. She waved her wand at the counter and the mess they made disappeared. Queenie pushed herself up onto the counter and smiled at him, tongue in between her teeth, swinging her legs slightly. It made relief spread through him, to see color in her cheeks again, and a real smile on her face! He hoped it was there to stay. Everything about Queenie was beautiful, from her personality to her body, but there was something sweet about her smile, the way it made her whole face glow, like she was made of sunshine.

He loved it. Even before she had left him in London, he’d spent months longing for that brilliant smile.

… And they had forty minutes until that strudel was done. No sooner had Jacob’s thoughts turned to what he wanted than had Queenie closed the gap between them, eager closing the chasm between them, kissing him as though it might be the last time. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he leaned into her. His hand ran up her back to rest on her soft neck and he heard her let out a content hum in between their desperate kisses, so he began to trace a small circle there with his finger and he felt her muscles loosen in response.

She slowly ran a hand down his cheek, lightly skimming his neck, and it was pure bliss, a touch that hours ago he had thought he might never feel again. He pulled her closer so that they were pressed against each other, clinging to each other with no space to spare. Their touches were slow and gentle, their kisses fast and hot, both of them eager to explore. Neither of them had forgotten what the other felt like, but they both acted as though they had.

Jacob began to trail kisses down Queenie’s neck and she sighed happily, closing her eyes and tilting back her head, her fingers latching onto the collar of his shirt.

“Oh, baby, it’s been so long since we’ve been like this…” Queenie said. It had been, too long. Even before the mess in London, he supposed it might have been months since they had let their bodies met in a blur of heat and gentle touches.

. They were so entwined in each other, they almost didn’t hear the timer go off. Jacob hurried over to get the strudel, pulling out  with a well-worn oven mitt. He shoved the oven door closed, Queenie coming up behind him and planting kisses behind his ear. It tickled, but was warm all the same.  

“Queenie, sweetheart,” He said, unable to stop laughing as she wrapped her arms around him as he placed their strudel on a rack on the oven to cool. She drew closer to him in response. She didn’t respond but continued to trail kisses onto his neck, her silky hair brushing against his neck.

They finally pulled away from each other when the strudel was ready, the smell of the apples and cinnamon wafting through the kitchen.

“I am gonna make us some cocoa,” Queenie said cheerfully, setting to work. She waved her wand to make them cocoa while Jacob dished out strudel for them to share on a plate, packing away the rest of it for later. Soon they were heading upstairs to Jacob’s small apartment above the bakery, Jacob carrying the plate for them to share plus the chocolate he’d made for Queenie, Queenie carrying the cocoa.

They both settled down on a couch nestled near the window of Jacob’s apartment, which provided a good view of the London street below. They both nestled on the couch under a blanket with the pastry their mugs on a table next to the couch. Jacob spooned Queenie a bite of strudel, which she opened her mouth lovingly to accept.

“Mmm,” She said as she closed her eyes. “Is it arrogant to say something is delicious if you made it?”

“Well, you did all the work, so I think I can say it’s good without being boasting,” Jacob said, taking a bite out of the strudel Queenie now offered him and swallowing. “Mm. We get out of all this alive, you got to go into business with me. You’re a better baker than me.”

Queenie scoffed. “There is no way that is true, honey!” She leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek. “And neither of us are dying. If I am going to be your business partner, we’re both going to _live_.” There was a stubborn determination in her voice that made him laugh.

He couldn’t imagine any other outcome right now, as they both fed each other the delicious strudel, interrupting feeding each other occasionally to chat about something, or to press their lips together for soft, loving kisses. No, snuggled up against each other, warm chocolatey drinks and lips, he couldn’t imagine anything other than a future filled with love and happiness, together.


End file.
